Originally Posted by
sdsearch
[ S]peaking of hotel chains, it's not necessarily unrelated to airlines: Marriott has a tie-in with United, whereby Marriott Platinum members can get complimentary United Silver status (but no higher level). As long as that continues, Marriott Lifetime Platinum is a backdoor way of effectively getting (maybe) lifetime United Silver.
That is my plan.
My wife and I have lifetime United Club membership (originally CO Presidents Club), so that would be a good combination for us.